Reward Offered in Michigan Dog Shooting

The Humane Society of the United States is
offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the
identification, arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­the
shooting death of a dog in Standish, Mich.

The Case:Rob Rezler gives the following account: On
Dec. 27, 2011, Haley, a 7-year-old golden retriever/cocker spaniel mix, ran off
while playing ball with her guardian, Rob Rezler. Two days later, Rezler found
Haley’s dead body on Highway 23 in Standish. The dog sustained apparent
close-range gunshot wounds above an eye and to a back leg. Rezler wonders who
would want to harm the playful and friendly dog who was his faithful hunting
companion.

“Haley was my little buddy; she was my
partner,” he said. “She was a good little dog, always smiling, rolling around
and having a good time with me. I loved her.”

Animal Cruelty: Getting the serious attention of law enforcement,
prosecutors and the community in cases involving allegations of cruelty to
animals is an essential step in protecting the community. The connection
between animal cruelty and human violence is well documented. Studies
show a correlation between animal cruelty and all manner of other crimes, from
narcotics and firearms violations to battery and sexual assault.

“The citizens of Standish should be very
concerned that someone in their community could callously shoot such a gentle
dog,” said Jill Fritz, Michigan state director for The Humane Society of the
United States. “We are hopeful that this reward will bring forward
anyone with information about this thoughtless crime.”

The Investigators: The Arenac County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call 989-846-3002.

Resources: The HSUS Animal Cruelty Campaign raises public
awareness and educates communities about the connection between animal cruelty
and human violence while providing a variety of resources to law enforcement
agencies, social work professionals, educators, legislators and families. The
HSUS offers rewards in animal cruelty cases across the country and works to
strengthen laws against animal cruelty. To see information on statistics,
trends, laws and animal cruelty categories, go to humanesociety.org.